3. Fungal Cave

Springrise, 9th day.
Night
When Faramos drifts into sleep, Nindia takes her place on watch. She perches on a fallen log just outside the camp, her scimitar and newly repaired dagger close at hand, her eyes scanning the treeline for any signs of movement. The sounds of the forest are unnervingly still, the air heavy with the ever-present decay of the Whispering Woods.Hours pass uneventfully, but just as Nindia begins to ease into the quiet, a faint rustle reaches her ears. Her body tenses, and her hand instinctively moves to her scimitar’s hilt. Out of the shadows, two figures emerge—orcs, moving with practiced stealth toward the camp. One orc holds a handaxe, while the other grips a shortbow. Their beady eyes glint with malice in the dim light, focused on the sleeping forms of Brenda and Faramos. Apparently, they didn't notice Nindia (yet).

Let me give you an image. Nindia is highlighted in yellow. =)



Faramos and Brenda are sleeping in the clearing/camp, an OPEN zone. There is no need to roll to MOVE into or towards it. Also, if a creature is in the same zone as another, it is in NEAR range.

White lines marks the zone borders. The outer, darker zones are ROUGH terrain. You must roll MOVE when you RUN into another rough zone or within ARMS LENGHT of someone in such zones. Failure means you managed to get into the zone, but you fall down. Also, if a creature is in another bordering zone (such as Nindia and the orcs), they are in SHORT range from one another.

Finally, if a creature is between two and four zones away, it is in LONG range.

Predator will become pray Nindia's pride makes her try to take care of those Orcs by herself, she can call and wake up friends at any time, but for now she slowly move to get behind the archer. It will be easy to kill Orc from behind while he is aiming a bow she believes.

Nindia’s pulse quickens, but she doesn’t hesitate. With silent precision, she slips from her perch and melts into the shadows, circling behind the orcs as they creep closer to her companions. Every step is calculated, her breath steady, and her focus razor-sharp.

She draws her dagger in one smooth motion and lunges, aiming for the orc's back. But in the dim light, her foot catches on a twisted root hidden beneath the mossy ground. With a muffled gasp, she stumbles forward and loses her balance, crashing to the earth. She lands hard, the damp soil clinging to her as she lies prone at the orc’s feet.

The archer, momentarily startled by the sudden noise, turns his beady, malicious eyes down at her.

With a loud girlish cry Nindia gets up and attack archer.

Nindia lets out a loud, startled, almost girlish cry as she scrambles to her feet. In a rush of adrenaline, she grabs her scimitar and swings wildly at the orc archer looming over her. The blade whistles through the air, but the strike goes wide, slicing through nothing but darkness. The archer, with a sneer of amusement, sidesteps the attack and quickly retreats into the shadows, his bow already drawn.

As Nindia recovers from her missed strike, the other orc, hefting a rusted axe, charges at her with a savage growl. His heavy boots thud against the forest floor as he closes the distance. Nindia barely has time to react, raising her scimitar defensively as the axe swings down toward her.

---

"NINDIA!" Brenda’s shout pierces the chaos as she jolts awake, her instincts kicking in immediately. With a swift, practiced motion, she grabs her sword and shield, standing tall as she prepares to rush to her friend’s aid. But before she can run, the orc archer, now at a safer distance from Nindia, lets loose an arrow. The projectile whistles through the air and finds its mark—sinking deep into Brenda’s side.She grunts in pain, staggering slightly but keeping her footing. Gritting her teeth, she rips the arrow out, blood staining her tunic. Her gaze hardens, locking onto the orc archer who fired the shot. With her shield raised and her sword gleaming in the faint firelight, Brenda gets ready to run despite the pain.

The battle is far from over.

Curse that forest Nindia cry rising her scimitar. Nothing seems go as she want

Nindia barely has time to react, raising her scimitar defensively as the axe swings down toward her. The force of the blow sends a jarring shock up her arm, but she manages to deflect it, avoiding a fatal hit.

Faramos rises immediately from his laying on his back, from his bedroll on the sound of Nindia's cry. Still half a sleep, he felt for his staff lying next to the bed... only to open his eyes and become full awake on the sound of metal hitting metal...
"That wasn't a dream..."
Throwing his bedroll during his rushed standing up, he runs towards the sounds not looking back, trying not to trip over the rich vegetation of the forest and it's many roots...Then he sees it: a big, brutish orc just after making a strong swing at parring - fortunately - Nindia. He instinctively attack the beast with a swing of his staff from above the head... aiming at its head.
"Not in my forest!"

With a fierce determination in his eyes, Faramos swings the staff with all his strength, the wood cracking against the orc’s back with a dull thud.

The orc grunts in pain, stumbling forward from the impact, but it’s not enough to bring him down. The creature turns, his snarling face twisted with rage as he glares at Faramos.

Nindia uses this opportunity to...

Parrying the attack Nindia get back her confidence and go into full counterattack